Big Girls Don't Cry
by musicalsarelife
Summary: Jersey Boys. A little scene between Frankie and Francine.


I do not own the Jersey Boys, as sad as that makes me. I only own the CD, book, and have seen it 4x. I dream of seeing it many more times and hopefully one day being in it. Until then, my stories.

Big Girls Don't Cry

"Mr. Valli, with a 'y,' give me a fuckin' break!" and with those words, Mary turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.

Frankie looked after her for a moment before he decided to leave. As he picked up his jacket from the chair, he thought back to earlier in the night. He had tucked Francine, his beautiful four year-old daughter, into bed. "I'll see tomorrow morning, sweetheart." "Oh well," he thought, "This isn't the first time I'll have disappointed her."

He turned the doorknob, but as he began to open the door, he heard a small voice.

"Where are you going, Daddy?"

He looked down at Francine, "Why aren't you in bed?" He silently cursed himself, realizing she must have overheard his fight with Mary.

She ignored his question, "Where are you going? I thought you were going to leave tomorrow."

With a sigh, Frankie spoke, looking to where Mary had left the room, "I don't think your mother would want me to stay tonight."

"So we only get one day with you."

"What?" He was a little confused.

"We usually get two at least." He said sharply.

"Baby, you know I'm working." He knelt down, looking into her eyes, "You know I'd rather be with you. I'm slaving away on the road so I can give you and your sister a good life."

Francine started crying and tried to pull away from him, but he pulled her back. Hugging her to his chest, he said, "I want you to have more than I did. My dad was a barber. Sometimes we hardly had enough to put food on the table."

"You had a daddy."

He held her a little tighter and said, "C'mon, you have a daddy too."

"One I never see!" She almost screamed, sobbing and trying to push her father away.

But, small as he was, Frankie was still stronger than Francine. He picked her up off the floor. Once off the ground she stopped pushing away and just cried into his shoulder.

He stroked her hair, whispering, "Shh. It's okay," and various other things to quiet her.

Through tears she said, "Why can't you stay home?"

"Couldn't you sing here?" She looked down at his shoulder.

"There aren't enough places to sing here."

Slowly, Francine raised her head to look in Frankie's eyes, "Then why do you have to sing?"

He didn't say anything. The question shocked him a little. He heard Mary moving around in the kitchen, and not wanting to deal with her again, he went outside. Setting Francine on hid lap, he sat on the steps of the porch.

"You didn't answer me." Francine broke the silence.

"What?"

"Why do you have to sing?"

He sighed. "I can't do anything else that would make much money."

"But I want you to be home more. We don't need a lot of money." She began crying again.

"We need more than I'd make here." He tried to change the subject, "Besides, don't you like to hear your daddy sing?"

Francine nodded.

"What songs does your daddy sing?" This was a game he had played with Francine as soon as she could talk. A little memory game, plus one of the few things he really knew and could talk about. It was hard to talk about life at home, and he didn't feel he should really tell her about everything on the road.

"Sherry."

"Good."

"Walk Like a Man"

"Good."

She went on listing songs, still crying a little. He listened for one particular song, so he could make a point."

"Big Girls Don't Cry."

"What song?"

"Big Girls Don't…" She realized what her father was trying to say. Francine became silent.

"So," Frankie said as he rubbed her back, "Are you gonna be a big girl for me?" He wiped a couple of tears from her face.

After a deep breath she nodded, "Yes, Daddy."

"That's my girl."

She leaned against him, resting her head on his chest. A minute later, she was asleep.

Frankie stood up, carrying Francine, and walked into the house. He walked through the rooms as smoothly as possible so he wouldn't wake Francine. He stopped for a second once when he saw Mary, who met him with an icy glare.

Then he went into Francine's room. He set the little girl down in her be. Kneeling, he kissed her. Then he ruffled his hair slightly with his hand and stood up to leave.

As he reached the door, he turned around and looked down at her.

"Good night, big girl."


End file.
